It was only a year ago that a couple of foreign artists tied up with a bunch of local artists to popularise graffiti in Chennai, and introduced it as an art form to beautify the city. We saw them coming up with larger-than-life
graffiti works
at several city landmarks, including the
Egmore
railway station and
MRTS
stations among others. This had got them praises from art enthusiasts. On Thursday, a group of three
German artists
, along with students of
Stella Maris College
, introduced something new called
tape art
in the city.
All that this form requires is a set of duct tapes and a bit of creativity. According to Stefan Busch, one of the German artists, it’s in the early 2000s that tape art started becoming popular. “In 2011, a couple of us, who belong to a collective called Tape That, were inspired by this art form; we followed artists from other countries like the US, where this form was popular. But now, the tape art scene is the biggest and most vibrant in Berlin than in any part of the world,” states Stefan. Along with two other artists, Thomas Meissner and Felix Rodewaldt, he showcased the nuances of tape art live to art enthusiasts at Spaces in
Besant Nagar
.
Ask Stefan why they chose lotus as the theme and he replies, “Lotus blooms even in a muddy pond. It’s like a bright flower in a not-so-good environment, just like how art brings positive vibes in our lives.”
Lakshmipriya Daniel, a faculty member of the Fine Arts department in Stella Maris, says, “Tape art is quite a new form in India. It’s different from other medium we have seen so far, mainly because of its simplicity. You can use any kind of tape; it can be done on any surface; and it is easily removable. It’s also temporary in nature, so I am not sure if it’s good to be done on an outdoor space here, like graffiti art, but it is definitely best suited for indoor beautification. You can fill an entire room with tape art, covering the floor, wall and ceiling.”
Vaishnavi Ramesh, a final-year Fine Arts student, says that it can even be used in art therapy. “Unlike painting, it’s much simpler. Coming up with a straight line using a tape is far easier than painting one using a brush. Someone who picks up art therapy need not be an artist. So, this is good for such people,” she says while showing us one of her tape art works. “It doesn’t require any preparation and it needs only minimum tools — a roll of tape and a cutter knife,” sums up Stefan.
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